Jerusalem

American  

[ji-roo-suh-luhm, -zuh-] / dʒɪˈru sə ləm, -zə- /

noun

1. a city in Israel: an ancient holy city and a center of pilgrimage for Jews, Christians, and Muslims; divided between Israel and Jordan 1948–67; Jordanian sector annexed by Israel 1967; Israel's capital since 1950 (but not recognized as such by the international community).

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Jerusalem British  

/ dʒəˈruːsələm /

noun

1. the de facto capital of Israel (recognition of this has been withheld by the United Nations), situated in the Judaean hills: became capital of the Hebrew kingdom after its capture by David around 1000 _bc ; destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 _bc ; taken by the Romans in 63 _bc ; devastated in 70 _ad and 135 _ad during the Jewish rebellions against Rome; fell to the Arabs in 637 and to the Seljuk Turks in 1071; ruled by Crusaders from 1099 to 1187 and by the Egyptians and Turks until conquered by the British (1917); centre of the British mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, when the Arabs took the old city and the Jews held the new city; unified after the Six Day War (1967) under the Israelis; the holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Pop: 693 200 (2003 est)

2. 1. Christianity Heaven

   2. any ideal city

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Jerusalem ¹ Cultural  

1. A holy city for Jews (see also Jews), Christians (see also Christian), and Muslims; the capital of the ancient kingdom of Judah and of the modern state of Israel. The name means “city of peace.” Jerusalem is often called Zion; Mount Zion is the hill on which the fortress of the city was built.

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Jerusalem ² Cultural  

1. Capital of Israel and largest city in the country, located on a ridge west of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River (see also Jordan River). (See also under “The Bible.”)

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Discover More

Jerusalem and places nearby are the scenes of crucial events in the life of Jesus. (See Bethlehem and Calvary.)

The “New Jerusalem” is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as the heavenly city, to be established at the end of time.

The city is famous for its many sacred sights and shrines, including the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Dome of the Rock.

The site of the city has been occupied since the Bronze Age.

Known as the “Holy City,” it is sacred to Jews (see also Jews), Christians (see also Christian), and Muslims.

Conquest of Jerusalem was the goal of the early Crusades during the Middle Ages.

It was the capital of the ancient Hebrew kingdom under the kings David and Solomon.

After the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan. Following the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967, Israel annexed the remainder of the city.

Other Word Forms

• Jerusalemite adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jerusalem

First recorded in 1580–1600; from Latin Hierosolyma, from Greek Hierosólyma, from Hebrew Yĕrūshalayim “possession of peace” (traditional interpretation). The H- in the Greek form is not found in the Hebrew; the H- is due to the influence of the Greek adjective hierós “holy, sacred, supernatural.” The alternative Latin form Hierūsalem, from Greek Hierousalḗm, comes from Hebrew Yĕrūshalēm, which most likely represents the pronunciation of Yĕrūshalayim. The spelling Jerusalem is due to loss of the initial aspirate H-, in the spelling of the Latin Hierusalem, which becomes Ierusalem; the former short vowel i then becomes pronounced as the semivowel y in accordance with ordinary Latin usage

Example Sentences

“Navigation through the Hormuz Strait requires you to follow a certain route,” says Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of Israeli military intelligence research and now director of think tank Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron likewise condemned the move and said it came in the context of "the worrying increase in violations of the status of the Holy Places in Jerusalem".

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Cardinal Pizzaballa's office said it was "the first time in centuries" a Latin Patriarch had been turned away from the holy site on Palm Sunday, which marks Christ's fabled return to Jerusalem.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

The Israeli police said that "despite the high-alert status, police allowed prayers to be conducted on the street outside the Old City of Jerusalem without intervention".

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

And they sang: “Oh, Lord, Lord, I want to be ready, I want to be ready. I want to be ready to walk in Jerusalem just like John.”

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin